Why You May Need to Change Your Email Address, Plus 5 Email Blunders to Avoid

In the early years of the internet and free email, there weren’t many options. However, today we have far more choices for email providers; though not all free email services are created equal. Some of the old freebie services (which shall remain nameless) are less reliable than they should be, and also look less professional. If you’ve ever sent email messages that didn’t make it to recipients or you didn’t receive a message that should have come to your inbox, it’s probably time to switch to a more reliable provider.

For business owners and authors, a better choice is to register an email address under your professional website domain name. You should be able to purchase this service via your web hosting provider, and the cost is minimal. It will also make your business communications look more professional than messages coming from free-mail.

If it’s a free and reliable email address you need, a good choice is Google’s Gmail. It looks and acts more professional than most of its competitors, filters out spam messages quite well, and has a user-friendly interface. You can also integrate it with an email management tool like Microsoft Outlook.

Here are additional email blunders to avoid:

1. Avoid is registering you email with your internet provider’s domain (i.e. [email protected]). If you decide to change internet providers in the future or move to an area with a different provider, you will have to notify all of your contacts, update online accounts and bill payment services, and go through a series of headaches to switch providers. A better option is to start with an email address that you can keep for the long haul.

2. Make sure your email address is easy to remember, pronounce, and spell. Odd character combinations lack professionalism and can be confusing, which can prevent people from reaching you. If you find yourself spelling out your email address repeatedly or having to explain what it means, it’s best to switch to one that uses your name, company name, or even a book title.

3. Use a human name in the outgoing name field, not your business name. This can look confusing and lack personalization.

4. Consider adding a second email address specifically for online shopping, newsletter subscriptions, etc. This will help to unclog your inbox with promotions.

5. Don’t ignore your email signature. Take full advantage of it by including your business name, phone number, mailing address, and website URL. This makes it easy for contacts to reach you. You can also include optional links to social media profiles, promotions happening on your website, or brief marketing messages.

Stephanie Chandler is the author of LEAP! 101 Ways to Grow Your Business.
She is also CEO of http://AuthorityPublishing.com, a custom publisher of
nonfiction books, and http://BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources
for entrepreneurs. Also visit http://StephanieChandler.com